1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transplanting apparatus that is drawn over a prepared field for introducing into the field seedling bodies and more particularly to such apparatus that places the seedling bodies with precision and accuracy in the field surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among presently known prior art transplanters is the apparatus disclosed in Shirozu U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,752 (111-2) which describes a transplanter for transplanting seedlings growing from a mass of dirt contained in a paper cylinder into a field surface. Because the root supporting media is housed in a paper cylinder, the patented transplanter apparently operates satisfactorily notwithstanding that the cylinder is subjected to substantial compressive and other forces during its traverse of the machine. Attempting to transplant more fragile articles, such as seedling bodies started in a greenhouse in a seedling tray as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,159, is not satisfactory in view of the relative fragility of the body of root supporting media which has no protective covering.
The transplanter described in the Shirozu Patent has a plant conveyor and a device for transporting the plants from the conveyor down to the field surface. Because the conveyor and the transporting device are both driven from the same power train, the patented machine functions to deposit the plants onto the field at only one fixed spatial relationship whereby the machine cannot accommodate different crops and/or different growing conditions wherein different interplant spacings might be required.
The machine described in the Shirozu Patent includes a pair of plant gripping jaws, one of which is fixed. The leaves or stalks of certain plants tend to engage the fixed jaw and are subject to being dislodged from the field surface in response to advancement of the machine thereover or to being deposited in a skewed position.